Monday, April 25, 2022

UKRAINE WAR IN MAPS - TRACKING THE RUSSIAN INVASION

 BBC News 25 April 2022 - by the Visual Journalism Team



Fighting is intensifying in the east of Ukraine as Russia targets full control of the Donbas region and the south of the country.

Here are the latest developments:

  • Heavy shelling and fighting is ongoing in the east of Ukraine
  • Russian gains in the Donbas region remain limited
  • Russian artillery and airpower has resumed against Ukrainian troops in Mariupol
  • More than 100,000 civilians still thought to be in besieged city
Map showing areas of Ukraine currently under Russian control

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, but its forces have now fully withdrawn from around the capital Kyiv and northern Ukraine to Belarus and Russia.

A large-scale Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has begun after Russia refocused its efforts there, following its retreat from the north of Ukraine.

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Russia targets full control of south

Russian forces initially made rapid gains in the south, with their main objective being the creation of a land corridor between Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and areas held by Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk.

On Friday, a senior Russian military commander said the objective was still to take control of all of southern Ukraine and establish a land corridor with Transnistria - a breakaway part of Moldova where Russian troops are already based.

But strong resistance from Ukrainian forces near Mykolaiv in the west and in Mariupol in the east significantly slowed Russian advances from Crimea.

Map showing the Russian military advance into Ukraine from the south

The port city of Mariupol, which has been encircled since the start of March, is now mostly under the control of Russian forces.

However, several hundred Ukrainian troops remain in the Azovstal metal works factory in the south of the city. Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered his forces to blockade Azovstal rather than attempt to take control of it, but Ukrainian officials report that Russian forces may be preparing a new assault on the sprawling industrial complex.

Russia has been accused of war crimes for its intense shelling of the city, with the local mayor saying at least 20,000 civilians have been killed. More than 100,000 people remain trapped in the city.

Maps showing how Mariupol has been besieged by Russian forces

To the west, Russia has been attempting to push towards Odesa, with the aim of cutting off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea, but their advances stalled at Mykolaiv.

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War in Ukraine: More coverage

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Fighting intensifying in the east

Russian officials have said that the focus of their forces is now the "complete liberation" of the Donbas, which broadly refers to Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists held significant territory before the invasion.

Map showing the Russian military advance into Ukraine from the east

Russia has substantially increased its troop numbers in the Donbas region in recent weeks, with satellite imagery showing a build-up of forces on Ukraine's border and convoys of vehicles travelling towards the front line.

In recent days, Russian forces have focused their assaults on Rubizhne, Severodonetsk and Popasna, three small cities to the east of Izyum - but their gains have been limited so far, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The BBC's Jonathan Beale, who is reporting from Slovyansk in the Donetsk region, says the war in eastern Ukraine is still largely an artillery battle at the moment.

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North retaken after Russian retreat

Ukrainian forces retook large areas around Kyiv in early April after Russia abandoned its push towards Kyiv, which had begun in the first days of its invasion.

Successful counterattacks by Ukrainian forces helped retake areas around Kyiv and, as the Russians withdrew, the Ukrainians were able to advance all the way to their northern borders with Belarus and western Russia.

Map showing areas retaken by Ukrainian forces after Russian forces withdrew

By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk, Debie Loizou and Prina Shah.

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About these maps

To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project.

To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using daily updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.

The situation in Ukraine is fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.